Area gardeners turn to native plants for landscaping

Published: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 10:52 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 10:52 a.m.

In Alistair Glen's front yard, patches of tall grasses and wildflowers grow among plots of meticulously manicured turf. Dozens of butterflies float among the blooms while a chorus of invisible insects chirp and buzz. The effect is exotic, but the reality is exactly the opposite: Every plant in Glen's yard is native to North Carolina.

Facts

Paper copies of a brochure about landscaping with native plants are available at the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension Office, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. To receive a copy by mail, email Dale Suiter at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at DaleSuiter@fws.gov. To download a digital copy, visit www.fws.gov/raleigh/pdfs/NativePlantsCoastalNC.pdf.For more information on Growing Wild Nursery, call (910) 200-2112 or visit www.growingwildnursery.net.

"It attracts a lot of wildlife - butterflies, mockingbirds, bluebirds," said Glen, owner of Growing Wild Nursery in Burgaw, a specialized native-plant nursery. "It's just a matter of finding the right plant for the right place."

Glen is part of a growing movement of homeowners across the state dedicated to landscaping and gardening using only native plants. The native species provide habitat and food for local wildlife while helping prevent the spread of invasive species, according to proponents of the idea. And because the plants evolved in the heat and humidity of the coastal climate, they require less water, fertilizer and general upkeep than their non-native counterparts.

"You're not going to have to worry about all of the additional care you might have to give to something that's not native to this area," said Melanie Doyle, conservation horticulturist with the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. "They're going to be tolerant to our temperature swings, the heat and humidity, to drought, and they're at home in our nutrient-poor soils."

How to find them

Native landscaping isn't a new idea, but the movement, like some of North Carolina's endemic plants, has been slow-growing. The plants aren't usually pricier than more traditional choices, but outside of specialty nurseries like Glen's, native species have historically been somewhat difficult to locate. Mainstream nurseries and box stores are beginning to stock several varieties, but they're rarely marked as native, making it difficult for the average shopper to locate on the shelves.

"If you were to buy a sweet pepper bush, it's not going to be labeled as a native plant - but it is one," said Cary Paynter, co-chair of the southeast coast chapter of the North Carolina Native Plant Society. "The more available they are, the more I think people will buy them, but it's an education problem."

In hopes of changing that, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation this summer released a 27-page guide with information about 32 species of native plants in the state's coastal plain.

Each plant listing features a color photo and details light and soil moisture requirements, salt tolerance and blooming dates, among other things.

The grant-funded booklet was distributed to beach towns over the summer, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has since received requests for additional copies, said Dale Suiter, a biologist with the federal agency.

"It's too early to know if it's been effective, but the brochure has been really popular," he said. "We've had a lot of requests for them, particularly from garden clubs along the coast."

The brochure is slim enough to be carried as a shopping list, Suiter said, and could encourage homeowners to select more native plants for landscaping and gardening.

"We can encourage folks to use natives," he said. "They are plants that have evolved in these coastal ecosystems. They've been here for thousands of years, and the wildlife has evolved with them. They're the species that should be there to support the native wildlife."

<p>In Alistair Glen's front yard, patches of tall grasses and wildflowers grow among plots of meticulously manicured turf. Dozens of butterflies float among the blooms while a chorus of invisible insects chirp and buzz. The effect is exotic, but the reality is exactly the opposite: Every plant in Glen's yard is native to North Carolina.</p><p>"It attracts a lot of wildlife - butterflies, mockingbirds, bluebirds," said Glen, owner of Growing Wild Nursery in Burgaw, a specialized native-plant nursery. "It's just a matter of finding the right plant for the right place."</p><p>Glen is part of a growing movement of homeowners across the state dedicated to landscaping and gardening using only native plants. The native species provide habitat and food for local wildlife while helping prevent the spread of invasive species, according to proponents of the idea. And because the plants evolved in the heat and humidity of the coastal climate, they require less water, fertilizer and general upkeep than their non-native counterparts.</p><p>"You're not going to have to worry about all of the additional care you might have to give to something that's not native to this area," said Melanie Doyle, conservation horticulturist with the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic13"><b>N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher</b></a>. "They're going to be tolerant to our temperature swings, the heat and humidity, to drought, and they're at home in our nutrient-poor soils."</p><p><b>How to find them</b></p><p>Native landscaping isn't a new idea, but the movement, like some of North Carolina's endemic plants, has been slow-growing. The plants aren't usually pricier than more traditional choices, but outside of specialty nurseries like Glen's, native species have historically been somewhat difficult to locate. Mainstream nurseries and box stores are beginning to stock several varieties, but they're rarely marked as native, making it difficult for the average shopper to locate on the shelves.</p><p>"If you were to buy a sweet pepper bush, it's not going to be labeled as a native plant - but it is one," said Cary Paynter, co-chair of the southeast coast chapter of the North Carolina Native Plant Society. "The more available they are, the more I think people will buy them, but it's an education problem."</p><p>In hopes of changing that, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation this summer released a 27-page guide with information about 32 species of native plants in the state's coastal plain.</p><p>Each plant listing features a color photo and details light and soil moisture requirements, salt tolerance and blooming dates, among other things.</p><p>The grant-funded booklet was distributed to beach towns over the summer, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has since received requests for additional copies, said Dale Suiter, a biologist with the federal agency.</p><p>"It's too early to know if it's been effective, but the brochure has been really popular," he said. "We've had a lot of requests for them, particularly from garden clubs along the coast."</p><p>The brochure is slim enough to be carried as a shopping list, Suiter said, and could encourage homeowners to select more native plants for landscaping and gardening.</p><p>"We can encourage folks to use natives," he said. "They are plants that have evolved in these coastal ecosystems. They've been here for thousands of years, and the wildlife has evolved with them. They're the species that should be there to support the native wildlife."</p><p>Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @kategoesbleu</p>